What Does “Trendjacking in Digital Marketing” Mean for Brands?
What are trends? – General Definition
A trend describes a general development or shift in human behavior or in societal structures that moves in a particular direction.
Megatrends are long-lasting, profound developments with global impact. They shape society, the economy, and technology for decades. Examples include digitalization, urbanization, and climate change – all of which are highly relevant to digital marketing.
In general, trends can be divided into three categories:
- Megatrends (long-term, global)
- Consumer trends (mid-term, market-driven)
- Product trends (short-term, often seasonal)
These categories mainly differ in their longevity and reach.
Why Brands Use Trendjacking in Digital Marketing
Trendjacking in digital marketing is a strategy where brands and creators deliberately leverage current viral topics to make their content more relevant, visible, and impactful. The benefits of this approach are diverse:
- Erhöhte Sichtbarkeit By integrating popular topics, a brand becomes part of ongoing conversations and reaches a wider audience.
- Höhere Interaktion People are more responsive to content that relates to current social discussions or pop culture trends – likes, shares, and comments naturally increase.
- Cost-efficient content production: Since trends are already part of the public discourse, content can be created faster and more affordably.
- Relevance and timeliness: Brands that join trending conversations appear approachable and present – an important factor in brand perception.
- Boost in traffic: Popular hashtags and viral topics direct attention specifically to a brand’s own content.
- Stronger customer loyalty: By engaging with the interests and emotions of their audience, brands build long-term trust and closeness.
If you want to learn about content differences on popular social media platforms, click on: Content Differences.
Risks of Trendjacking in Digital Marketing – What Brands Should Keep in Mind
More and more brands and creators are using trendjacking in digital marketing to gain short-term reach and attention through viral topics. The strategy can work – but it is not without risk. Especially when the chosen trend doesn’t align with brand identity, what might seem like a clever move can quickly turn into a strategic misstep.
What drives clicks in the short term can cost trust in the long run. If trendjacking in digital marketing comes across as inauthentic or purely opportunistic, the result can be real reputational damage.
When the trend doesn’t fit the brand
A viral hype can certainly generate buzz – but only if it matches the brand’s identity. Otherwise, the campaign quickly feels forced or random. People immediately notice when a brand bends itself just to join the conversation.
The problem: a rushed attempt to adapt to a trend can dilute the brand’s own message. Instead of fostering closeness, it creates distance. The brand loses clarity – and with it, credibility. This becomes especially critical when the trend doesn’t resonate with the target audience or product offering. In that case, existing customers feel alienated rather than engaged.
Trendjacking in digital marketing therefore requires sensitivity: only trends that genuinely fit the brand identity and audience should even be considered.
Reputational risks from insensitive content
Trends are often short-lived – and sometimes sensitive. Jumping on them without careful thought can lead straight into cultural or ethical pitfalls. Without a proper understanding of context, a clever idea can quickly spiral into a PR disaster.
Especially in the delicate environment of trendjacking in digital marketing, brands should always evaluate trends for potential controversies and communication risks. And if criticism does arise: stay calm, communicate transparently, and remain open to corrections. That way, reputation can be safeguarded – even in the middle of a storm.
Too much of a good thing: when trendjacking becomes routine
Trendjacking in digital marketing can work – but not as a permanent strategy. Brands that constantly chase the next hype soon come across as unoriginal. The audience notices: this is about attention, not real value.
That’s why trendjacking should always be part of a well-thought-out content strategy. It’s better to selectively engage with trends that fit the brand and build something long-term – instead of hopping on every passing bandwagon.
Brands are wise not to chase every trend, but rather to choose those topics that align with their message and contribute to long-term brand building. That way, trendjacking in digital marketing doesn’t become a trap, but a strategic opportunity.
The bar chart titled “2025 Trendjacking – Relevant Marketing Statistics”, sourced from Amra & Elma , illustrates five key metrics reflecting current developments in digital marketing and trendjacking:
- Number of Social Media Users (5.24 billion): Highlights the massive reach of potential micro-trends.
- Average Daily Social Media Usage (143 minutes): Emphasizes how deeply users are engaged with their feeds.
- Global Social Ad Spend (USD 276.7 billion): Shows that, despite skepticism about virality, significant investments are still made in social advertising.
- Social Listening Adoption (62%): Demonstrates that brands increasingly rely on real-time trend monitoring.
- Generative AI Use by Marketers (83%): Indicates the growing role of AI in producing trend-driven, audience-specific content quickly.
Trendjacking is becoming more precise, data-driven, and culturally embedded – no longer loud, but relevant to the right audiences.
An Example of Trendjacking in Digital Marketing
In 2017, Pepsi launched an advertising campaign featuring Kendall Jenner that attempted to leverage socially relevant protest movements to convey a sense of unity. The message was heavily criticized for trivializing political movements such as Black Lives Matter. Pepsi pulled the campaign just hours after its release and issued a public apology, as the video was perceived as insensitive.
Sources: The Guardian, Thu 6 Apr 2017
Trendjacking in digital marketing without an authentic connection can cause lasting damage to a brand – a clear warning before blindly following a hype.
Conclusion – Trendjacking in Digital Marketing 2025: Relevance over Reaction
Even in 2025, trendjacking remains a powerful tool in digital marketing – yet its effectiveness increasingly depends on strategic depth and cultural sensitivity. Brands that do more than simply imitate trends and instead integrate them thoughtfully into their identity and audience communication achieve more than short-term attention: they create genuine relevance. A deliberate, strategic approach to trendjacking in digital marketing strengthens brand resilience and fosters long-term customer loyalty. In an era shaped by AI, social listening, and real-time data, trendjacking is not louder, but smarter.
